Rajnath Singh, the minister of defence, has dedicated 90 infrastructure projects of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) totalling more than 2,900 crores to the nation. These projects are spread across 11 States and Union Territories.
The projects were officially inaugurated on Tuesday in Jammu by the defence minister.
Rajnath Singh referred to the BRO as the 'bro (brother)' of the Armed Forces in his speech and stated that through its infrastructure projects, the BRO is not only securing India's borders but also playing a significant part in the socio-economic development of the remote areas.
"Together with BRO, we are ensuring that the nation is secure and border areas are developed. Timely completion of infrastructure projects in far-flung areas has now become the new normal of New India," he said.
These include 63 bridges, two helipads, 22 roads, the Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, and two airfields in West Bengal. Out of the 90 projects, 36 are in Arunachal Pradesh, 26 in Ladakh, 11 in Jammu & Kashmir, 11 in Jammu & Kashmir, 5 in Mizoram, 3 in Himachal Pradesh, 2 in Sikkim, Uttarakhand, & West Bengal, and 1 in each of Nagaland, Rajasthan, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Using state-of-the-art technology, the BRO built the majority of these strategically significant projects in a single working season, finishing them at record speed.
The Raksha Mantri inaugurated the event at Devak Bridge on the Bishnah-Kaulpur-Phulpur Road.
The state-of-the-art 422.9-meter-long Class 70 RCC Devak bridge is crucial from a strategic perspective since it will improve the Armed Forces' operational readiness and advance the socioeconomic progress of the area.
Rajnath Singh inaugurated the 500-meter Nechiphu Tunnel on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh, which is a significant infrastructural project. This tunnel will give the vital Tawang Region all-weather connectivity, together with the Sela Tunnel that is currently under construction.
Both the tourists visiting Tawang and the Armed Forces stationed in the region would benefit from it. In October 2020, Rajnath Singh laid the tunnel's foundation stone.
West Bengal's renovated Bagdogra and Barrackpore Airfields were also dedicated to the country. These airfields, which are rebuilt at a cost of more than 500 crore rupees, will not only improve Indian Air Force (IAF) readiness but also streamline commercial flight operations in the area.
Rajnath Singh also essentially laid the foundation stone for Eastern Ladakh's Nyoma Airfield. This airstrip, which will be built for approximately 200 crore rupees, will improve Ladakh's air infrastructure and increase the IAF's capability along the Northern Border.
The Defence Minister expressed confidence that this airfield, which will be among the highest in the world, will be the game-changer for the Armed Forces.
He also expressed the expectation that the BRO would soon establish another exceptional record with the building of the Shinkun La Tunnel, the highest tunnel in the world at a height of 15,855 feet.
He said the tunnel would give all-weather communication between Lahaul-Spiti in Himachal and the Zaskar Valley in Ladakh and praised the BRO for building infrastructure in border regions and significantly enhancing the country's security.
(Photo: Flickr/PTI)
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